Fuel pump



Nw 27, w51 C. W. VAN MNST m.. 2mm@ FUEL PUMP Filed DeC. 8, 1945 l In...

Patented Nov. 27, 1951 FUEL PUMP Cornelius W. Van Ranst and Ward D. Smith, Dearborn, Mich.; saidSmith assigner, by mesne assignments, to said Van Ranst vApplication December 8, 1945,Serial No. 633,657

(Cl. S-150) ,12 Claims.

The invention relates generally to internal comtoa fuel pump.

Fuel pumps employing pulsating diaphragm are generally used in motor vehicles for the purpose .of `supplying lfuel to rthe carburetor. These 4pumps are operated, as airul'e, by :cam means on the engine cam shaft, and the present invention is -concerned with a .fuel pump of this general charlatter.

One object of the present invention is to provide `an improved type of fuel pump employinga pulysatingtylpe of diaphragm wherein an improved 'and very eiiicientresilient Valve element is used for controlling ythe Vflow of lfuel through the pump.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved type of 'valve for this purpose which comprises a rubber disk :acting to control both the inlet and the outlet `openings in the pump.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fuel pump of this character wherein the valve lis of inexpensive construction and can be readily installed Aand replaced.

Other objects of 'the invention will become apparent 'from the following specification, from the `'drawings relating thereto, and lfrom the l claims hereinafter set forth.

"For a better understanding of the invention 'reference Vmay be had to `the drawings Where- Figure 1 is an elevational View partly in cross section showing a fuelpump constructed accord- Ting to one form Vof the invention; and

Fig. '2 is a cross-sectional view taken substanf 'tiallyalong the line'2--2 of Fig. 1.

'Referring to Fig. l, the pump compr-ises a casing Ahaving a lower lpart lIll andan upper part I I,

'and these parts of the casing have flanges I2 and I 3,frespectively, fastened vtogether by screws lwords, pulsates, and athis movement of .the dii'aphragmsmay rbe zeffecte'd by'rany suitable means sincl'udingyforinstance, i any arm 24 pivoted Linterl ,mediate 'its ends on a pin 25 in the casing part I9 and having an operative connection at its inner end with lthe pin 20. This connection at the inner end of arm 24 is such as `to allow the stroke of the diaphragm and pin 29 to vary in accordance with fuel pressures above the diaphragm, or rin other words, 'if the pressure vabove the diaphragm increases, the stroke'will be shortened whereas if the pressure rabove `the diaphragm decreases, the stroke will be lengthened. Movement of the arm 24 may be effected by a stem V2I operating from the engine cam shaft and which vseats :ina socket element 28 pivoted as indicated at 29 on the outer end of the arm.

The upper part II of the casing includes an inner wall 3| which forms an outer vapor and fuel chamber 33 and an inner vapor and fuel chamber 34. Fuel enters the inner chamber fby means of a fuel inlet '35, shown in Fig. 2, and then flows from the inner chamber to the outer chamber by means presently to be described, and from the outer chamber it :dows through a connection 3'! leading to the engine carburetor.

Now directing `attention to Fig. 1,'in particular, the base or bottom of the inner chamber 3| 'is separated from the outer chamber by `a bottom wall 39 having a plurality of openings 4|) for allowing the fuel to vflow from one chamber to the other. A metal disk 4I extends across the casing immediately above the diaphragm I5 and this disk has 'a marginal flange 42 disposed between the flanges I2 and I3 so as :to secure the disk rigidly in position. It might be mentioned that the margin of the diaphragm seals the casing at the underside of the disk margin 42, while at the upper side of the disk a rubber sealing ring 44 is provided for this purpose.

`The central portion of the disk l4I is upwardly off-set and is provided with a central large opening 45 and smaller, marginal openings 46. At its upper side the disk has an annular rib 49 located between the opening 45 and the series of openings 45, and this rib serves as an anchor for Ya disklike, rubber valve'59 whichhas an annular downwardly open channel portion 5I fitting vthe rib andalso sealing against the bottom 39. The valve 59 has an opening 53 vat its center-and around this opening it has an upwardly extending sealing "bead 54 adapted to contact the underside of the base 39, Jand it might be noted that this bead 54 is r4generally wedge shape in cross section so as lto presenta relatively narrow edge for contacting the base. Outwardly of the channel 5I, the disk has a similar annular bead 55 on its underside which is adapted vto contact the disk 4I outwardly of the openings 4B. The valve 50 may be composed of any of the synthetic rubbers which are resilient and flexible and highly resistant to the action of hydrocarbon fuels and also resistant to corrosion.

Within the inner chamber Si, a cylindrical lter Bil is provided which rests on the bottom wall 39 radially beyond the openings @il and this filter is maintained in position by an upper disk element 6i slidably disposed on a tubular projection 62 extending upwardly from the base. A coil spring 63 around the projection 62 urges the disk 6I and lter downwardly and the upper end of the spring is engaged by a closure or cap E54 which extends over the upper end of the projection 62 and at its outer margin engages a sealing ring 56 on the casing. The cap 64, is anchored on the projection 62 by means of a bolt lll extending through an opening 1! in the cap and threaded into the upper end of projection t2, and a sealing ring 12 is provided under the head of the bolt so as to prevent fuel leakage.

During operation of the pump, downward movement of the diaphragm I5 causes the central portion of the valve Eil to move downwardly while at the same time the outer marginal portion of the valve is maintained in tight sealing engagement with the disk 6l. Movement downwardly of the central portion of the valve allows fuel to flow through the openings lil and 53 and into the space between the disk 4i and the diaphragm, and then upon upward movement of the diaphragm, the central portion of the valve is held in sealing engagement with the bottom 39 while pressure on the fluid causes it to iiow upwardly through the openings 46 and to escape past the bead 55. It should be understood that the movement of the fuel will lift the marginal portion of the valve and allow it to flow under the bead 55, and this is true also in connection with the bead 5e during flow of fuel downwardly through openings liti. Also it is to be understood that the resiliency of the rubber naturally tends to cause the beads to return to 'seating contact with the metal surfaces which they are adapted to contact.

Attention is directed to the fact that in assembling the pump, the contact between the margin 42 on the disk li! and the iiange I3 on the casing denitely locates the rib 49 on the disk with respect to the bottom 39 of the casing, and the relation of parts is such that the rubber valve between the rib 59 and bottom 3B is sealingly clamped in place, but without such pressure as to cause any deformation in either the central portion of the valve or in its outer marginal portion. At the same time by having projection t2 limiting the extent to which the bolt l can be tightened, any tendency of the bottom 39 to be deformed through tightening of the bolt is eliminated. Thus if the bolt is tightened in one case more than in another, the variation will have no effect on the bottom 39. As a result the rubber valve will not be altered in shape or position at any time.

From the foregoing, it should be appreciated that the rubber valve 5D may be accurately constructed and shaped and accurately located in position and that its condition will not be altered such as by deformation through any tightening of the screws i3 or tightening of the bolt '10. Hence, the valve may be rapidly and accurately arranged and with such relation of parts that its efficient and proper operation will be assured at all times.

Although only one form of the invention has been 1llustrated and described in detail, it will be 4 apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fuel pump, a casing, a wall in the casing and forming a part thereof, a plate spaced outwardly from and parallel to the Wall, means releasably securing the plate to the casing, said plate having a central opening and an outer opening spaced from the central opening, the wall having an opening adapted to communicate with said central opening in the plate, and rubber valve means including a central portion and an outer portion and annularly gripped and sealed between the plate and wall intermediate said central portion and said outer portion, said -central portion controlling communication between the opening in the wall and the central opening in the plate and the outer portion being arranged to flex and thereby cover and uncover the outer opening in the plate.

2. In a fuel pump, a casing, a plate extending across the casing and having a rst opening and an additional opening between said iirst opening and the periphery of the plate, a wall above the plate and substantially parallel thereto and having an aperture disposed to communicate with said first opening, a rubber valve disk between the wall and plate and having an opening normally closed by said Wall and adapted to connect said aperture and said iirst opening to allow fluid to ilow therethrough, and means sealing the rubber valve disk between the Wall and plate, said means being arranged around said rst opening to prevent the flow of duid between said wall and said plate from one of said openings in said plate to the other, said rubber valve disk being in normal covering relation to said additional opening and said aperture and being free to iiex to alternately uncover said additional opening and said aperture.

3. In a fuel pump, a casing, a plate extending across the casing and having a rst opening and an additional opening between said rst opening and the periphery of the plate, a wall above the plate and substantially parallel thereto and having an aperture disposed to communicate with said rst opening, a rubber valve disk between the Wall and plate and having an opening normally closed by said wall and adapted to connect said aperture and said iirst opening t0 allow uid to ilow therethrough, and means sealing the rubber valve disk between the wall and plate, said means being arranged around said rst opening to prevent the ilow of uid between said wall and said plate from one of said openings in said plate to the other, said rubber valve disk being in normal covering relation to said additional opening and said aperture and being free to ex to alternately uncover said additional opening and said aperture, and beads on the exing portions of said rubber valve disk adapted to contact the plate and wall respectively.

4. In a fuel pump, a pump diaphragm, a lower casing member secured to the lower side of the pump diaphragm, an upper casing member,a plate interposed'between said upper casing member and the pump diaphragm, said plate being recessed to form a pumping chamber, a vapor dome extending upwardly from said pumping chamber, a plurality of radially spaced openings in said plate, and an annular exible disc secured to the upper side of Said plate and having a radially outer peripheral portion overlying the radially outer of said radially spaced openings and espressa Atveiiectlve 'in-fone y'position 5to' prevent fluid :flow ytherethroughand having-a radially -innerperiph- :eral portion overlying the radially inherent said radially spaced-openings -andfiectivelin one posil"tion `to prevent iluid ow `therethrough,:at yleast one fof rf-sai'd openings Lcoirimunicating y`with v'said 'vaporfdoma `5. A-A Yfuel pump comprising an upper housing f member having'fan `outlet chamber portion, fan inlet chamber portion and a transversely extending wallportion comprising the lower'wall ofsaid `'inlet chamber `portion .andhaving an aperture -fcomunicating :with said `rinlet chamber portion, a

lower housingmembe'r, a pumping diaphragm 'eX- 'tending'transversely o'i said vpump intermediate 'said housing members, an 'apertured plate -mem- ?"ber extending transversely Lof said pump "inter- "mediate said pumping A'diaphragmand said upper housing member'an'd -coopera'tingwiththe former :to'dene a pumping chamber, said plate "having an -`annular upwardly extending portion project- @ingtowardsaid'wall portion outwardly 4otsaid aperture, and 'inlet and outlet valve ineansfor controlling the now or" 'fluid through said aperture and said Aapertured plate from said inlet chamber portion to said pumping chamber and from said pumping `chamber to said outlet chaminlet chamberportion and :a transverselyextending wall portion comprising the lower wallzoi said Ainlet Ichamber portion and having an aperture .communicating with said vinlet chamb'erportion a lower housing member, a pumping 'diaphragm extending transversely of saidjpump intermediate :said'housing members, .an apertured plate member extending transversely not said pump inter- '.rnediate said pumping diaphragm and saidupper Ahousing.rnelrnber and cooperating with the'former to define a pump-ing chamber, said plate having ian annular upwardly extending portionpro'jecting toward said wall portion outwardly of said aperture and inlet and outlet valve means for controlling the flow of fiuid Vthrough said aperture .and said-aperture-d plate from Vsaid inlet chamber portion to said pumping chamber and from said pumping chamber to said outlet chamber portion and comprising an annular flexible valve member mounted on said plate member and having an annular wall portion cooperating with said upwardly extending portion of said plate member to position said valve member, said valve member providing an annular seal between said upwardly extending portion of said plate member and said wall portion oi said upper housing member, said plate member cooperating with said upper housing member to define an outlet chamber, and said valve member being adapted to control communication between said inlet chamber portion, said pumping chamber and said outlet chamber.

7. In a fuel pump, a casing, a plate and wall extending transversely of said casing an-d disposed in substantially parallel, spaced relation, said plate and wall being apertured; a rubber valve disk disposed between the wall and plate and having an opening therethrough; and means v'supporting the disk and sealing the wall and plate to the disk annularly'about said :opening and spaced inwardly of the outer margin `ref the disk, said aperture in :said wall being :disposed inwardly 'of the annular seal of said plate and said wall to said disk, said plate having a rst opening inwardly of theannular seal of said plate and said wall to said disk and a second opening outwardly of said annular seal, the disk including a portion 'inwardly of said sealing `means anda portion outwardly of said sealing means, one of 4which portions in its free position covers said opening in said wall to prevent the flow of 'fluid therethrough and the other of which portions in vits free position covers said second opening in 'said plate to prevent the flow of fluid therethrough and both of which portions are Ifree to "dex rfrornsaid positions.

8. A fuel pump comprising means denin'gfan inlet'ohamb'er and an outlet chamber, la transversely extending wall having an aperture communicating vwith said inlet chamber, a transversely extending plate disposed in generally spaced parallel relation to said wall and having a rst opening adapted to communicate with said `aperture and a second opening adapted to communicate with said outlet chamber, a transversely extending diaphragm operable -to effect a flow of Inuid through said pump, and a valve disk Ycornprising an annular nexible disk disposed between said lwail and said plate and having 'a central aperture adapted to communicate with said aper- 'ture and communicating with said'lrst opening, :an inner annual marginal portion adjacent said central aperture adapted to sealingly engage said Wall to `close said central aperture, an outerannular marginal portion adapted to sealingly en- 'gage said plate outwardly of said second'opening,

and an intermediate annular portionsealingly engaging said wall outwardly of Said aperture and sealingly engaging said plate outwardly of said first opening and inwardly of said second opening, said disk, inwardly of said intermediate portion,

being Aadapted to flex to move `said inner marginal Aportion out of 'engagement with said -plate vand establish communication between said 'aperture and said first opening through said central apertura'and said disk, outwardly of said intermediate `portion, being adapted to ileX to move said outer marginal Yportion out of engagement Awith said Vplate and establish communication be- Jtween said second opening and said outlet chamber.

" nularly about said opening in the disk intermediate said opening in said disk and the outer margin of the disk, said opening in said wall being disposed inwardly of the annular seal of said Wall and said plate to said disk, said plate having a rst opening inwardly of the annular seal of said plate and said wall to said disk and a second opening outwardly of said annular seal, the disk including a portion inwardly of said sealing means and a portion outwardly of said sealing means,

one of which portions in its free position covers said opening in said Wall to prevent communication thereof with said opening in said disk and 1 the other of which portions in its free position covers said second opening in said plate to prevent fluid oW therethrough and both of which portions are free to flex from said positions.

l0. In a fuel pump, a casing part having an open end, a rigid plate member extending across the casing part and fastened thereto in direct contact with the end of the casing so as to x the plate member in position, a wall member forming part of the casing and extending in spaced relation to and substantially parallel to the plate member, said wall member having an opening therein, a rubber valve disk between the plate member and wall member having an opening adapted to permit fluid to ow therethrough, and means supporting said disk and sealing the wall member and plate member to the disk annularly about said opening in the disk intermediate said opening in said disk and the outer margin of the disk, said opening in said wall being disposed in- Wardly of the annular seal of said wall and said plate to said disk, said plate member having a first opening inwardly of the annular seal of said plate member and said wall member to said disk and a second opening outwardly of said annular seal, the disk including a portion inwardly of said sealing means and a portion outwardly of said sealing means, one of which portions has a first sealing bead which in the free position of said one of said portion engages one of said members to prevent communication between said opening in said wall member and said opening in said disk and the other of which portions has a second bead which in the free position of said other. of said portions engages the other of said members to prevent fluid flow through said second opening in said plate member, and both of which portions are free to ex from said positions.

11. A valve disk for a pump having an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, a transversely extending wall member having an aperture communicating with one of said chambers, a transversely extending plate member disposed in generally spaced parallel relation to said Wall member and having a rst op-ening adapted to Communicate with said aperture and a second opening adapted t communicate with the other of said chambers, said valve disk comprising an annular exible disk adapted to be disposed between said wall member and said plate member and having a central aperture adapted to communicate with one of said openings, an inner annular marginal portion adjacent said central aperture adapted to sealingly engage one of said members to close one of said openings, an outer annular marginal portion adapted to sealingly engage the other of said members to close the other of said openings, and an intermediate annular portion adapted to sealingly engage said members intermediate said openings, said disk, inwardly and outwardly of said intermediate annular portion, being adapted to ilex to move said inner marginal portion to permit the ow of fluid through said one of said openings and to move said outer marginal portion to permit the flow of fluid through said other of said openings.

12. In a fuel pump, a resilient unitary annular valve disk having an annular bead disposed adjacent its inner periphery at one side of said valve disk and a second annular bead disposed adjacent the outer periphery of said valve disk and at the opposite side of said disk, said valve disk having an annular supporting portion disposed intermediate said annular beads and said annular valve disk, inwardly and outwardly of said annular supporting portion being free to flex to move said annular beads relative to said annular supporting portion.

CORNELIUS W. VAN RANST. WARD D. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 729,271 Bumpus May 26, 1903 947,536 Wenkel Jan. 25, 1910 986,122 Astrom Mar. 7, 1911 1,107,284 Gardner Aug. 18, 1914 1,439,503 Clump Dec. 19, 1922 1,525,426 Mueller Feb. 3, 1925 1,779,420 Carter Oct. 28, 1930 1,878,440 Duffy Sept. 20, 1932 1,888,322 Lanctot et al Nov. 22, 1932 2,006,319 Hueber June 25, 1935 2,121,549 McNeal June 21, 1938 2,139,867 Teter Dec. 13, 1938 2,202,123 Strode May 28, 1940 2,242,582 Jencick Mar. 20, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 558.724 Great Britain Jan. 18, 1944 

